"Let us not talk about it," she said. "I have heard all about it,
and--well, I have given you my promise."

"But if I am worse than you thought," he cried; "if you find out
something which you cannot forgive. If some one told you that I am a
fraud, a lie, a villain?"

"I should still trust you," she said quietly. "You have never told me a
lie, have you?"

"No," he said, "I have never told you a lie."

"Then I should laugh at what I heard. You have told me that since your
Oxford fiasco, when that girl jilted you, no woman has in any way ever
come into your life."

"Yes, I have told you that, and it is true; bad as I may have been since
that time, I have never given any woman but you a thought. If there is a
God, He knows that my words are true."

Olive Castlemaine laughed merrily.

"Then," she said, "I shall not trouble a little bit about what I hear."

He looked up into her face, his eyes all afire with the ardour of his
love. With her by his side, all things were possible. He was still a
cynic with regard to others, but he no more doubted Olive than he
doubted the sunlight. She was beyond suspicion, and yet his very faith
in her made him fear that the coming day could never fulfil his hopes.

"I am not fit that you should be my wife," he cried. "I know I am not,
and yet I would murder the man who tried to take you away from me. Oh, I
am in earnest; I would. Why, you don't know what you are to me. You are
hope, faith, motive power, heaven."

He started up, and walked away from her as though he were ashamed to
stay by her side. But he quickly came back.

"Oh yes, I hate professions of faith," he went on. "I despise repentant
sinners. I would a thousand times rather have to do with a good
pronounced blackguard than with your whining convert. And yet I know I
shall be a good fellow with you as my wife. And I never break my
promises. I was never so mean as that. Oh yes, I was whisky-sodden when
I knew you first, and I was a plaything to the habit; but since that
day--you remember, Olive--I've never touched it, and I never will--no, I
never will!"

Olive Castlemaine was a little frightened at the intensity of his words;
nevertheless, she was proud of her power over her lover. What woman
would not be?

"And yet I am removed from you, Olive. I don't know why, but I feel it.
You love me, don't you?"

For answer, she put her hand in his, and looked steadily into his eyes.

"You know, Radford," she said.